Daniel
by Lady-Valiant
Summary: What if Jack wasn't really Danny's father? What if Maddie lied all along and was finally ready to tell the truth?
1. Maddie

*Author's Note: I _should _be doing a dozen other things right now, _but _this random thought popped into my head. Might be a three-shot. Four-shot. Who knows?*

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We argued so much sometimes. Yes, I loved him. I always have. I always will. Sometimes, though, there is no one else in the world as frustrating as the man I love. Jack Fenton. We married right out of college and had our beautiful daughter, Jasmine. Jack picked the name. We argued so much over what to name her. We did (finally) come to an agreement, though. Jasmine- Jazz. Beginning was a struggle. We'd never lived together before, and sometimes I just wanted to strangle him. I often wonder if he felt the same way, but I'm rambling.

Ghosts. It was always about ghosts. I _understood_, but our little two-year-old should come first, right? Before work, before ghosts, before research, before _everything_. One night, I guess, things just got to rough. Who could I turn to? I just needed time to think. To sort things out. I left. I had every intention of returning, but I just needed someone to talk to- someone who could understand. I turned to you.

I'm sure you remember that night. I do, too. I returned home, strangely feeling better but horribly guilty. I was a married woman! I tried to make up for it by being the most loyal and supportive wife I could be. I _did _love them. Then, I got a surprise. I got a surprise in the form of a black-haired, blue-eyed baby. The problem was I was almost positive he wasn't Jack's. Call it mother's intuition. I just _knew_.

I remember holding him in my arms the first time, while Jack and I tried to decide on a name. I had thought of it for months, and I _knew _what he had to be named. You once told me what you'd name _your _son if you ever had one. I wasn't sure if you remembered; it was so long ago. It felt right, though. Daniel. Jack thought it was too old fashioned, too cliché, too overdone, but it _had _to be Daniel.

I wish you'd seen him grow up. You wouldn't believe it. He's truly wonderful: smart, energetic, curious, sweet…I hate lying to him, but I've lied for fourteen years- to everyone but myself.

When you invited us to the reunion, I desperately wanted to see you, but I was worried. I shouldn't have worried. You seemed to suspect nothing. Danny seemed to like you. It was bittersweet to say the least. I wanted to tell you. Words couldn't describe how much, but I _did _truly love Jack and Danny. But I loved you, too- at least once, no matter for how small an amount of time. I wondered if you suspected something when you heard his name, but if you did, you didn't say anything.

I left you this note to say that I named him Daniel for you. After the ghost attacked, I felt like at the very least you deserved to know. The incidents weren't related, but you still ought to know. You ought to know you have a son. His name is Daniel Fenton, but it should've been Daniel Masters.

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Author's Note: _Vlad _is Danny's father! What!?! Yes, I know it's crazy, but if you really, _really _think about it, it _does _kind of sound plausible.


	2. Danny

Author's Note: Second chapter. I promise it's from the same story, but it _does _sound a little odd at first!

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It was a regular Saturday night for me. I was fighting another ghost- one I'd never seen before. It looked like a cross between a giant snake and a horse, if you can imagine that. It was down by Lake Eerie. Sam and Tucker were supporting me the whole way; they're such great friends. I thought I'd won. I really did. Then, the ghost jumped up and bit me- quite literally.

I fell into the water, yelping in surprise as my body hit the freezing waves. I floated back up, gasping. Somehow, I managed to force the ghost into the Fenton thermos. "Danny!" Sam called, coming into the water with Tucker not far behind her.

I smiled weakly back and waved the thermos over my head. This ghost had attacked before, in a hospital, and I'd failed to defeat it. This time, I'd succeeded. My joy quickly faded, and I winced at the pain in my chest. I looked down and saw ectoplasm covering my suit. I assumed that turning human would fix the problem; it always did. Luckily, Sam reached me just as I changed.

I yelled as the pain hit me full force, nearly dropping the thermos. I almost collapsed to my knees. Thank God the water was only a few feet deep. "Danny!" Sam and Tucker both yelled.

I stared down at my chest. I was bleeding. For some reason, that didn't register to me at first. How could I be bleeding? "I'll call your parents!" Tucker said, rushing back to shore for his cell phone.

"We need to get you out of the water," Sam coaxed me, taking the thermos in one hand and helping support me with the other.

It seemed to take forever to reach the shore. The wind picked up, making it even colder. I felt so weak and faint. I thought about changing back into Danny Phantom, but Tucker changed my mind.

As we struggled to the shore, he ran up to me, throwing a blanket around me. "Danny, the ambulance is on the way. Your parents are, too."

I nodded, smiling weakly. "It…isn't…too bad."

My chest felt like it was on fire actually, but there was no need to worry them over it. The ambulance arrived, and I struggled to stand. I'd half-succeeded when my vision began to blur. Sam's grip tightened on my arm. "What is _he _doing here?" she hissed under her breath.

I looked over in a daze to see what she saw. Vlad Plasmius. "Danny!" my mom cried.

My parents ran over to me. "What happened? Was it a ghost?" Jack asked.

"Ye-yeah," I mumbled weakly.

A paramedic pushed them aside. "Come on. Can you walk? We can get a stretcher."

I shook my head, taking a few stumbling steps into the ambulance with her. My mom was about to climb in when the paramedic shook her head. "We don't have enough room for everyone back here."

"But- I w-want…" I struggled to form coherent thoughts now. My words sounded slurred, like I was drunk.

"Why don't you two come after us with Daniel's friends?" I heard Vlad asked.

I attempted to glare at him, but I'm not sure if I succeeded. "I'll come, too," Maddie said. "Jack, you might need to protect the kids in case that ghost comes back."

I wanted to protest. I didn't want _Vlad _beside me when I was weak like this. The ambulance began moving, the sirens painfully loud. It was hard to think anymore. I felt dizzy. I only barely heard the paramedic say, "We don't have enough blood for him. He needs more than we have. That ghost destroyed most of our supply when it attacked earlier this week."

Talk about irony.

"He can use mine. I know he can use my blood; he's AB positive."

Vlad? I stared at him distantly, barely conscious. He smiled and whispered, "Hold on, little badger."

Mom was there, too, saying something, but everything was starting to blur together to where I couldn't see anything. I must've lost consciousness shortly after that.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital bed. My arm hurt, and I winced when I saw the IV. Well, at least I healed super fast thanks to my ghost powers. Sam smiled down at me, stroking my right hand. "You scared me," she muttered.

I smiled halfheartedly as last night's events came crashing back in my confused and tired mind. "I'm okay," I replied.

One of the memories hit harder than the rest. "I thought they were out of blood."

She frowned. "The truck came in last night."

"That wasn't soon enough…" My eyes widened when I realized it. "Vlad gave me blood!"

"I don't care who gave you blood," Sam said. "All that matters is you're alright."

I nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Sam. Where's Tucker?"

For some reason, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something _was _wrong. What were the chances of our blood types being compatible? How did Vlad _know _my blood type? _That _was scary. "Oh, you're awake!"

A blonde-haired nurse walked in with a clipboard, smiling. "You're lucky," she said. "How do you feel?"

"I've been better," I muttered.

"Yes…I suppose so. It's lucky your mother and Mayor Masters were able to donate blood for you on the way here. You're type AB. Did you know that? It's a rare blood type."

I shook my head. I didn't care about my blood type. I _did _care that Vlad gave me blood. "You should be out of here soon," the nurse continued. "I've _never _seen someone heal so quickly."

I exchanged a wry smiled with Sam, trying to hide my discomfort. Maybe it bothered me more than it should, but it did bother me. Vlad was my enemy. He _shouldn't _be giving me blood.

I was released three days later. I couldn't get rid of the nagging thought at the back of my mind. Vlad and I had compatible blood types. Weird. Almost on a whim, I asked my father, "Hey, Dad, what's your blood type?"

He grinned widely. "I'm O negative."

That left me surprised. _O negative. _I was AB positive. We'd covered blood types in biology- when we were studying genetics. I had to be wrong. I wasn't thinking clearly. Jack was my father! Surely, you could take O negative blood and make AB positive, right? I thought I must just be remembering wrong. Still, I called Tucker. "Hey, man, what's up?"

"Tucker," I said, fighting to keep my voice from shaking. "I-is it possible to make AB positive blood if one of the parent's has O negative blood?"

Tucker laughed. "Doing homework? Of course not, Danny. The parents would need blood types A or B to make that."

I didn't hear what he said next. I dropped the phone to the floor in shock. No. It couldn't be true. My father was Jack Fenton. I was Danny Fenton. "Danny?" I heard from the phone.

"Bye, thanks, Tuck," I said, clicking the 'hang-up' button.

I changed into Danny Phantom a moment later and flew into the night sky. No. No. No, no, no. For some reason, the thought running through my mind was that Jack wasn't my father. Then, who was? Plasmius. Vlad is your father, a tiny voice in the back of my mind insisted. No, no, no. There was no way Vlad was my father. It was impossible. _Improbable_, the voice whispered again.

My mind began running through scenarios in my mind. Vlad called me 'son'. He wanted me to join him. When he made a clone, he tried to clone _me_- not my mother. Why me? He'd given his blood to save my life. "No!" I yelled to the empty sky.

The more I denied it, the more sense it made. Vlad's blood was compatible, and if I remembered correctly, my father- Jack's- blood wasn't compatible at all. Vlad always wanted me to be his son, after all. My parents did argue a lot, but… _Vlad_? "I'm going insane," I muttered.

A pink blast of ectoplasm knocked me down into a building. "Still weak, Daniel?"

I knew that voice. No one called me Daniel but him. I sighed and turned around to face him. More thoughts entered my mind. Vlad had blue eyes when he was human. I had blue eyes. We had compatible blood types. It was still impossible.

He attacked me again, and I was too stunned to pick myself up from where I sat on the roof. "What's _wrong _with you?" he asked.

I looked up at him with my green eyes. Vlad's hair was dark grayish-black when he was younger. My hair was black, but so was Jack's! Vlad stopped and stared at me. "Daniel?" he asked, more softly.

I just stared at him, wanting more and more to deny what my mind and heart were telling me had to be true. This was my father. I wasn't Jack's son. I was Vlad's.

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pearl84: I am so honored to get a review from you! I read your stories a while back- before I joined FanFiction. They are so _good_!

XxKobu71062xX: That's cool. I never thought of Jazz not being Jack's daughter.

Roxaholic: Thanks! Yeah, Vlad/Danny father _is _pretty cool.

Stephinie Crow Manson: Thanks!

Alexia Moonlight: I never thought about Vlad being Danny's father! Just yesterday, I randomly thought about it. It just kind of jumped in my head. Funny how that works, huh?

Sakurako Minase: Thanks! I glad you enjoyed reading it.


	3. Vlad

*Disclaimer: Don't own Danny Phantom. Never will.

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I'm normally not indecisive. I'd even say I'm brilliant. It's not bragging; it's the honest truth. I found myself indecisive, though and confused. I hated being confused. Here was Daniel, though, slowing picking himself up. Something wasn't right. He didn't have his usual childish arrogance. For a moment, I swore he looked at me fearfully. "What's wrong, Daniel? Are you losing your touch?"

He didn't say anything. Why didn't he say anything? With his temper, I expected _something_. "Butter biscuits, boy! Say _something_! What's wrong with you?"

"Why did you donate blood to save me? You _hate _me!"

I was surprised again. Yes, I knew Daniel was my son. Maddie left me a letter after our reunion. That was why I tried so hard to get him to join me. He could do this on his own, but it would be confusing. Daniel didn't deserve that- not if there was any way I could possibly help him. Did he know? "What do you mean, Daniel? I wasn't going to let you die."

The boy shook his head. "No, you shouldn't have helped. You don't care. You never have. You're _not _my father. Never."

He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening, as if he hadn't meant to say that last part. He did know then, or at least he suspected it. "It's true," Vlad muttered.

"No, it's not! I'm through with your mind games! This isn't funny!"

Was that what he thought? I couldn't help but be both irritated and amused by this. I mean, did he really think I was _that _much of a jerk? Well, okay, he probably did think that, but this time it was the truth. "It's not a mind game, Daniel," I said.

"Yes, it _is_!"

"What proof do I have to give you to _show _you it's true?" I asked.

The boy hesitated, clearly trying to think of _something_. "I-I don't need proof! It's not true!"

He turned away from me when I said, "You asked Jack what his blood type was, didn't you?"

Daniel turned back to me, his luminescent green eyes glowing brighter. "You possessed him!"

I nearly rolled my eyes. Could I have a more stubborn, thick-headed son? I smiled slightly. My son. Now he knew it, too. "I didn't possess him, little badger," I finally said. "We did blood typing back in college. You're a smart boy, right? I'm sure you _know _Jack isn't your father. If he isn't, tell me who is."

"No! He is my father! Mom only loved Dad! Jack Fenton _is _my father!"

I sighed. There really was no getting through to him when he was acting like this. "Really, Daniel," I said, "I'm not trying to trick you. You can't deny the truth."

"The truth is that _you _are _not _my _father_!"

I'm not sure why, but it really hurt to hear him say that. Of course, the denial had to be expected. "What proof do you need that I am?" I asked. "I promise you I can get it."

He shook his head. I sighed. I wasn't going to be able to get through that ego of his. Maybe time was all he needed. "Very well, Daniel," I said. "I'll leave you be. You know where to find me."

I flew away, but I didn't really leave. I still watched him. Invisibility is a wonderful thing. A little later, that friend of his- the girl, Samantha- came up to the roof and sat with him. "Danny?" she asked.

The boy looked up, and I could tell he was trying hard not to let her see how hurt and confused he was. She noticed anyway. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Vlad says he's my father."

She smiled gently. "Danny, just because he says it doesn't make it true."

"My dad has an O blood type. My blood is AB. That's not genetically possible."

"Maybe he's mistaken," Samantha said.

I smiled slightly. He wasn't mistaken. Was a blood sample all Daniel needed to finally accept this? The boy sighed again. "The scary thing is…part of me…in a weird way, it all makes sense."

Samantha took a deep breath. "Does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters! My father might be Vlad Plasmius!" he protested.

The girl said nothing. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. The feeling was bittersweet. My son was in love. Ironic, I thought, considering how his father seemed so bitter. "I'll love you either way. You're Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom. It doesn't matter who your parents are."

"I know _you _love me, Sam, but it matters to _me_."

I watched them sit there. They really did look cute together, I thought with some satisfaction. Still…was it that hard to accept I was his father? All evidence pointed to it. It should be so _obvious_. I was the only logical explanation. Daniel didn't see that, though. Irony again. I'd always said if I had a son, I'd name him Daniel. I did; I just didn't know it. I sighed. He'd come around eventually. He just needed time to figure things out. After all, I knew how emotional he could be. He'd find out it was the _only _way soon enough. Until then, I'd just have to wait for Daniel to come around.

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Author's Note: And there's another one! All that's left is the review responses!

Comando: Many thanks!

Amethyst Ocean: Yes, I'll continue it just for you.

xSapphire-Catx: Thanks a lot!

Always an Angel: Thank you! I love getting suggestions on how to improve any story I write.

Pearl84: Thank you! Yeah, the snake ghost was totally random, and I have no idea where the blood type idea came from, but hey, it works!

Alexia Moonlight: Thank you! As for Smexy…of course she's getting an update. Quite a character, isn't she?

Dragonmaker: Thanks so much!

Kagome51: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. To be honest, I didn't think _anyone _would really like this…

Readergirl21: Hm… well, we now know Vlad's reaction, but we'll have to wait to see Maddie's I'm afraid.

Ali Phantom: Thank you, and I never really thought much about Vlad being Danny's father, either. I made a joke about it, and it just screamed to be written, so I got this!

Animehphantom: Thanks for the review!

Secret Spy Guy: It really does make sense when you stop to think about it. Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought about it. I told a friend, and she looked at me like I was crazy.

DarthDanielle: It's okay. I really have nothing going on right now except for FanFiction either…. I'll update for you- since you're going to be empress of the world and all. (P.S. A lot of the time I'm to lazy to review, too, so it's perfectly fine.)


	4. Sam

Author's Note: Just a poor white kid. If I owned Danny, would I be a poor white kid?

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Danny looked so confused. I'd never seen him so close to crying before. I tried to assure him, but I knew nothing I could say would make things right. He needed proof Jack was his father. Personally, I didn't see how Jack _couldn't _be his father. He loved Danny, so it shouldn't matter even if Vlad was Danny's father. "Danny," I said, "We could do a DNA test or something. We could ask your mom."

"Sam, that's _not _something you can ask your mom!"

I sighed. "We could ask Clockwork."

His eyes brightened slightly at that. I wondered sometimes if Danny and Clockwork were friends. I knew he'd saved us, helped us, but Danny seemed to see something in Clockwork that I didn't. "Yes, he would know," Danny said, his voice suddenly hesitant.

I understood. He was worried that his fears were _right_. He was scared that Vlad _was _his father. I weighed the two options. It would kill Danny if he couldn't find out for sure. "We'll…do that DNA test first," he said. "Then, we'll go to Clockwork. I don't want to bother him over nothing."

I had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be 'nothing'. "Alright," I agreed.

He smiled. "Thanks, Sam."

Danny flew away, and I smiled sadly. I hope he's alright. I watched until he was out of sight. Then, I turned around and nearly yelled in surprise. Vlad Masters stood right behind me. "How were you planning on getting a sample exactly?" he asked.

"I…um…"

He rolled his eyes and gave me a lock of hair in a plastic bag. I didn't bother asking where the bag came from. "I thought Daniel might want to avoid a blood test. With our ectoplasm, I'm not sure what the results would be. I'd go to Axion Labs. I'm sure Valerie's father would be willing to help you."

Then, he vanished. I stood and stared at where he'd been. I'd have to explain how I'd gotten Vlad's DNA, and I was praying silently that Vlad wasn't Danny's father. I missed cheerful Danny. I missed the Danny who smiled with that sheepish smile of his- the smile that could melt my heart. "It'll be alright," I whispered to the empty air. "It'll be alright."

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Mr. Grey gave us the results printed on paper. "I'm glad to see you kids taking an interest in genetics," he said.

I smiled. "Thanks."

Tucker hovered over me, seemingly genuinely interested in what the paper said. "Well?" Danny whispered. "What does it say?"

I gazed over the paper. Then, I saw the answer. I gulped. "It's…not a hundred percent," I said, forcing a smile.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Sam, let me see it," he whispered.

I didn't want to show it to him. It would hurt him! No… he couldn't make me. I wished that paper would just… burst into flames or something. I stared, as if my gaze could change the number on it. "Sam, I need to see," Danny said. "Your reaction is scaring me. I already can tell it's not going to be good."

I sighed and wordlessly handed him the paper. He took a deep breath. I watched him search for the number he was looking for. When he suddenly paled, I knew he'd found it. Danny swayed unsteadily on his feet. "I feel like I'm gonna faint…"

Tucker grabbed on of his arms to help steady him. "Danny?" I whispered. "Danny!"

He didn't reply to me. Danny dropped the paper on the ground and fainted. Right there. He just fainted. Tucker gave me a worried look, keeping Danny's head from hitting the ground. "Oh, what happened?" Mr. Grey asked, coming into the room.

"Danny just fainted!" Tucker said. "I don't know what happened!"

I vaguely heard them talking. I didn't think he'd be this surprised. In a strange, twisted way, I was _relieved_. Now Vlad didn't seem so… well, _creepy_. It didn't matter to me who his father was, but it mattered to him- to Danny. I sighed, wondering how long Danny would deny it. After all, the results weren't a hundred percent, but they were accurate enough to make me believe it. 99.9%.

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Author's Note: Duh, duh, dum! Now we know!

Stephinie Crow Manson: Thanks! Denial seemed very Danny-like to me.

Amethyst Ocean: Thanks a bunch!

RenesmeeScarlet: Your wish is my command…

Alexia Moonlight: I'm glad it was touching… in a phan-girl sort of way.

Rane: Thanks!

Pearl84: Thank you- for the review and the DNA test suggestion. I'm glad you think I do Vlad well. I always worry about getting him right.


	5. Jack

Disclaimer: (Insert witty banter here).

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"Hey, Danny-boy! Wanna see this new Fenton gun?" I asked.

Danny smiled. "Sure…"

He came to join me on the coach, and I was surprised at first. Normally, he was so busy- too busy to stop and look at the new Fenton gadgets. Teenagers. Always rushing off somewhere. It made me remember my younger days- my college days, with Vlad and Maddie. I smiled nostalgically. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, Danny! I was just remembering Vladdie."

"Oh…"

"You sound depressed about something, Danny."

His eyes widened, as if he didn't expect me to notice. People said I was clueless sometimes, like father like son, I suppose. Still, I knew my son well enough to know when something was wrong. "Naw, it's just… thinking about… Sam."

I nodded. A girl. Of course. "Ya know, Danny, when I met your mom, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and she was smart! Even better, she could cook!"

Danny laughed. "Ah, yes," I continued, reminiscing. "She was beautiful, and we have our arguments. All couples do. Usually, it's just best to let it blow over. Maddie knows it's nothing and that it's normal. It's just part of life, so whatever you and Sam are going through, I'm sure you can fix it. She's not pregnant, is she?"

"What? No!"

"Oh, well, it never hurts to check," I said, wondering why Danny was blushing so much.

"If you need to tell her something, just do it. Honesty and loyalty are probably the most important things in a relationship- any relationship."

"Yeah, I know."

"That's my boy- just like his father."

I ruffled his hair and chuckled. "Now, Danny, this is the… well, it's a gun, and it freezes ghosts. It doesn't have a name. I suppose we'll call it…"

"The Fenton Freezer?" he suggested.

"Perfect! Now you're thinking like your old man does!"

"Yeah… I guess so. Say… um, Dad… do you… ever think about other women besides Mom?"

I set down the Fenton Freezer and studied my son carefully. That was kind of a difficult question. "Well… sometimes, I see a girl and think she's pretty," I admitted, "But that's it. In all truth, I love your mom. She's the only person I could ever be happy with, Danny. Have you changed your mind about Sam?"

"We're… we're not together."

"No, but you've thought about it. Heh. You're blushing."

That made Danny blush even deeper. Ah, a girl. That explained why Danny was acting so strange. A girl. Sam Manson, to be exact. She was a little dark, but all kids went through phases, and Danny liked her. That's what really mattered. "I'm sure whatever problems you're having with Sam will work themselves out just like they're supposed to," I said.

"Yeah. I hope so. Hey… you're a great father, you know that?"

"Thanks, Danny! But you're still not getting a raise in your allowance."

He rolled his eyes. "No, I really meant it," he said.

I grinned and continued to inspect the Fenton Freezer. "I can't wait to try this out! It's something that should be able to combat that ghost boy's powers!"

"Good luck. He's pretty strong," Danny said.

"That's why it'll be so interesting when we rip him apart molecule by molecule!"

A delicious smell wafted into the room from the kitchen. "Cookies are done!" Maddie called.

I grinned and stood. "Come on, Danny! It smells like chocolate!"

He followed me into the kitchen, and there was Maddie. She smiled, looking so beautiful. She had the loveliest eyes I'd ever seen- lavender. Purple eyes came from rare recessive genetics, and she was one of the only people I'd ever met with eyes like that. "Thanks, Mads!" I said, hugging her from behind.

She laughed. "Watch out, Jack! That pan's still hot!"

I smiled and took a step back. Behind her, Danny stood, half-smiling. "Time for cookies!" I said. "How many do you want, Danny?"

"Uh… I dunno. Actually, I really need to call Sam."

I waited until he left before winking at Maddie. "Our little boy's having girl trouble," I said.

She smiled. "Yep. Looks like it."

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Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in forever, but lately all the relatives have been coming into my house. It's turned into a hotel practically! So, here's this one. I really need to do the review responses, but I think I'll post this first. If you did review last chapter, I promise I did read it. Thanks!


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